De Zerbi backs Spurs medical staff as injury list hits nine before Chelsea

Roberto De Zerbi has refused to point the finger at Tottenham’s medical department, even with as many as nine players unavailable through injury for Saturday’s trip to Chelsea. The head coach called the problems “a normal situation in football” and walked through three cases to make his point.

A crowded treatment room before Stamford Bridge

The list is long. Destiny Udogie has still not trained since hurting his knee at Old Trafford, Lucas Bergvall and Savio are out, and Tosin Adarabioyo is a doubt. Rodrigo Bentancur misses the game through suspension. James Maddison, who marked his first start in well over a year with a goal against Coventry, did not train for three days afterwards, and Dejan Kulusevski will be handled with care after his own long-awaited return.

There was some good news. Pedro Porro is back after a month out with a hamstring problem, and De Zerbi said Andy Robertson, Omar Marmoush and Dominic Solanke were all fine after the fitness worries that followed Monday’s win. We looked at those concerns in the days after Coventry.

According to the Guardian, De Zerbi said the club would produce a “total report” on injuries at the end of the season, but that “so far we can’t say anything bad about the medical staff”.

Three cases, one argument

The question matters because Spurs rebuilt the performance side of the club. Dan Lewindon arrived as performance director last season, and the Evening Standard lists Ali James (head of medical services), Tom Tombleson (head of athletic development) and Agostino Tibaudi (strength and conditioning) among the summer additions. Yet the injuries keep coming.

De Zerbi’s defence was specific. Porro, he explained, already had a hamstring issue at the World Cup, came back late without a proper pre-season and then pushed to play against Aston Villa despite feeling it in training. Bergvall twisted his knee inside the first minute at Manchester United, played on, and only felt the pain the following day. Robertson, meanwhile, had played four games in a row for Scotland before a small problem kept him out at Old Trafford.

“It’s football. I am convinced our medical staff this season is high level. I follow them. I believe in them,” De Zerbi said in his pre-match press conference. Of Bergvall, he added: “What is the responsibility of the medical staff? Nothing.”

Options rather than excuses

The coach also made clear he will not gamble on half-fit players. “I don’t want to take risks, because if you analyse this period of European football, you can see many injuries, not [just] for Tottenham, for everyone,” he said. Mathys Tel, Marmoush and Gallagher were all named as possible answers if Maddison is not ready.

Whatever the line-up, the task is a familiar one. The Guardian notes Spurs are chasing only a second win in 42 meetings with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge across all competitions, and De Zerbi’s side arrive with a thin squad and a first league win of the season still fresh. For fans weary of injury bulletins, the manager’s message is that patience, not blame, is the plan.